Shoes to Fill
by Lady Zephyrine
Summary: The Kongs weren't expecting the Kremlings to attack. Not only does DK have to fill for his father's role, he has to fill in for his sister's role in raising her son. Sadly, it doesn't look like Diddy likes him all that much. (Reposted from Ao3)
1. Chapter 1

_**I'm not sure if anybody recognizes me, but I'm the same lady that wrote those horrible DKC novelizations back in 2013/2014 on here. If not, then my profile picture was a light blue kitten (though she's a tiger cub, now)  
**_

 _ **Anyway...back then, I wouldn't have bothered writing something like this since I always got worried about getting flames/hate sent towards me. But after being a part of two fandoms that folks like to call "cringey", I just don't care anymore. So expect plenty of dumb headcanons to pop up. This also started off as a cutesy fanfic, but it got dark really fast. With that being said, expect some pretty dark stuff to pop up.**_

 _ **Anyways, here's my fic.**_

* * *

Donkey Kong stared at the baby monkey in front of him. For a Kong that was supposed to be his nephew, he looked absolutely tiny. In fact, he was so tiny that DK could crush him with his hand if he wanted to.

"So...this kid's name is Dinky, right?"

"Actually, it's Diddy," his sister, Lily, replied. DK huffed. "That's a weird name."

"Look who's talking, Mr. Donkey Kong!"

"Hey, I was just playin' with ya!" DK replied. In all honestly, he found Diddy adorable. The baby monkey had his tail curled around his mother's arm, he stared at his uncle as if he were a giant. DK tried to pat his head, but Diddy curled his tail and ducked. As he ducked, he let out a loud cry. It was as if he were saying "Don't touch me!"

"Uh...I don't think he likes me," DK replied.

"Ah, he just has to get used to you," Lily replied as she patted her son on the head. "And hey...before ya know it, he might start to look up to you."

"Oh, of course he will," DK teased. In all fairness, Diddy was still a baby, so he couldn't say whether or not they'd ever get along. But even then, it was nice to finally meet him...even if he didn't feel the same way.

"THERE YOU ARE!" yelled an ape as he walked up to DK and grabbed him by the arm. "I've been lookin' all over for ya!"

"But Dad, I was just-"

"No buts!" Junior yelled, "We've gotta go harvest those bananas for the hoard!"

DK rolled his eyes as his father dragged him away. He waved good-bye to Lily, who waved back as she started heading over to Funky's place. Ever since she'd gotten married, DK rarely had a chance to see her. While they weren't exactly close when they were younger, it was always nice to catch up every once in a while. Of course, DK was next in line to be King of the Island, so all of his other responsibilities had to come first. It always had to be him gathering bananas and keeping an eye out for the Kremlings. It wasn't fun, but somebody had to do it.

"So how'd things go with King K. Rool?"

"He said he'd leave us alone so long as we keep out of his turf," Junior replied, "but I dunno...I don't trust that lizard."

"I can't say I blame ya," DK said, scratching the back of his head. "Did anything else happen?"

"Well...The barrel factory's gone down again," Junior replied. DK tilted his head in concern. "Should we do something?"

"We COULD...but I think we'll we fine without a few new barrels for a while," Junior said . "And I'm sure Candy and Swanky could use a break, too."

DK let out a chuckle. As concerned as he was, he couldn't recall the last time Candy's had a break from work. And hey, the barrel factory owner could use a break as well...Though DK wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not.

Really, as exhausting as it was being king, it certainly did have its perks. And with his father helping him out, he was certain that things would turn out OK.

"By the way, how's Cranky been doin'?"

"Well, he's been yelling at everyone like he usually does...So I think he's doing just fine."

"At least he's not forcin' me to guard the banana hoard again."

"Ugh...ain't that the truth," Junior said rolling his eyes. "But if he asks, tell him you haven't slept in weeks."

"Yes, sir!" DK replied, smiling. "Also, have you met Diddy yet?"

"Of course," Junior replied. "Though when I first met him, he could barely keep his eyes open."

"He was THAT tiny, huh?" DK asked, though it wasn't hard for him to imagine.

"Well...as tiny as he might be, I'm sure he'll grow as big and strong as we are. And who knows...maybe Tiki Tong will choose him as the next King."

"And yet he couldn't choose Lily to be the Queen instead?"

"Hey, I'm sure Tiki Tong has his reasons," Junior replied. "But for now, let's just worry about gathering some bananas. They're not going to harvest themselves, you know."

"Yes sir," DK said as he followed his father into the forest. After all, the other Kongs needed those bananas too.

* * *

A couple days had gone by, and Donkey Kong was standing on the beach. He was scanning the area for Kremlings, though he wasn't able to find anything besides the occasional crab every now and then. Still, as much as he believed the Kremlings would leave him alone, He had a bad feeling that something was going on. DK looked into another set of bushes, and to his surprise...it was just a tiki.

"Did ya find anything!?" yell a Kong in a bandana, Funky.

"Nope, just a tiki this time," DK replied. "What about you?"

"Well I found a beaver once," Funky replied. "That's probably not what you're looking for, though."

"Huh..." DK backed away from the bush, confused. "I guess they really aren't up to anything right now."

"Say...how about we just go back to the village?" Funky asked. "We could go see if Candy wants to hang out with us."

"I dunno, Funky," DK said, "Those guys could come after us at any moment."

"Yeah, but it's not like you haven't put up a real fight before," Funky replied. "And besides...if King K. Rool comes by, I'm sure you can knock him into last year."

"Well...if you think it's OK, then I guess we'll be fine," Donkey Kong said as Funky wrapped an arm around him and squeezed his shoulder. "That's the spirit, Donkey-Dude! Now c'mon, we haven't got all night!"

DK looked back at the beach as Funky dragged him back to the village. He couldn't help but feel like something bad was going to happen. While he did put up a fight before, he'd never actually fought a Kremling before...least of all King K. Rool. But hey, maybe DK was worrying too much.

As the duo left the beach, a crocodile crawled onto the shore. He looked around for any signs of the Kongs. To his relief, there was nobody around. He pulled out his walkie-talkie and began to speak. "It's all clear, your majesty!"

"Excellent!" said a voice from inside the walkie-talkie. "We should be ready to ambush those primates by midnight. In the meantime, just wait there and keep an eye out for any other Kongs."

"Yes, sir!" The Kremling said enthusiastically as he put the walkie-talkie away. Suddenly, he felt something bite him. He turned his head, he could see a tiki with its beak clamped over his tail.

"Get lost, ya glorified drum!" the Kremling yelled, causing the tiki to bite even harder. The Kremling snorted, he hoped the rest of the Kremlings would hurry.

* * *

It was late at night, DK was sitting on Funky's porch. The porch was lined with colorful lamps. In the middle of it sat Funky's contraption, covered by a white sheet. For such a laid-back guy, he was able to put a lot of work into it. Perhaps he needed just a few more parts? Maybe then, DK would finally see what this machine would look like.

"Sorry I'm late," said a woman's voice as she made her way to the porch. "Bluster was trying to hold me back again!"

"Of course he would," DK said rolling his eyes. "So how've you been, Candy?"

"I've been doing just fine," Candy replied as she sat down next to DK. "Just a thousand more coins and I'll finally be able to open my own music shop!"

"I'd help ya along, but I don't think Cranky would agree with it."

"Well, all that money he's got has to go to something more important...I think," Candy looked at DK. "So...how are things going with you?"

"Eh...I've been better," DK replied. "Really, the only interesting thing that's happened so far was that I finally got to meet my nephew."

"Oh, you got to meet Lily's kid?" Candy asked. "How'd that go?"

"Well...The kid doesn't like me, that's for sure."

"Hey, I'd be scared too if a giant gorilla tried to be my friend!"

"Ah, shut up!" DK said as he playfully jabbed Candy's arm. Candy jabbed him twice as hard, the duo couldn't help but laugh at each other.

"Oh-ho...and what do we have here?" said Funky as he stepped outside with three banana milkshakes sitting on a tray.

"Knock it off, Funky." Candy said as she grabbed a milkshake from the tray, "DK and I are just friends."

"Oh...you say that NOW," Funky said with a smirk, "but I can just SMELL the love in the air."

DK shook his head as he grabbed a milkshake for himself. "Whatever you say, Funky...Whatever you say."

The trio sat there quietly while enjoying their milkshakes. Most of the Kongs were probably asleep at this hour, not that DK minded. As a kid, he hated having to stay up late...especially since Cranky used to make him guard the Banana Hoard all night. However, seeing the village as the adult he is now, it was actually kind of peaceful.

"Hey, DK?"

"Yeah, Candy?"

"Do you hear that?"

"Hear what?" DK asked, looking around. Soon, Funky was able to hear it as well. It sounded like a lot of yelling. Out where the beach was, the trio could see a trail of fire heading towards them. DK felt a sinking feeling in his chest.

"Is...that what I think it is?" Funky asked, quietly.

"W-we've gotta warn the village!" Candy yelled. DK sat up and started heading up the hill with Candy and Funky following right behind them. The trio of apes began to yell as they entered the village, they tried to wake as many Kongs as possible.

"WAKE UP, MY DUDES!"

"THE KREMLINGS ARE AFTER US!"

"C'MON, WAKE UP!"

Kongs began to exit their houses, confused. An older Kong, Cranky stormed out of his house shaking his cane, his wife was following closely behind him. "WHAT'S WITH ALL THE RUCKUS!?"

"Cranky, there's Kremlings out there!" DK explained. Cranky snorted. "I see...you're playin' one of your tricks, aren't you!"

"I'M SERIOUS!" DK yelled, "THERE ARE KREMLINGS OUT THERE, AND THEY'RE COMING AFTER US!"

"Are you sure about that, DK?"

"Oh? But I would listen him if I were you."

The Kongs' attention had turned to the Kremlings, Especially the one standing in the middle, the one with a golden crown and a long, flowing cape.

"Now...which one of you is the next ruler of this island?"

Nobody spoke up, DK didn't know whether to attack or run. He knew K. Rool was bad news, but he had never seen him so up close.

"Come on, don't be shy," K. Rool said as he pulled out a sword, "We just want to have a little talk."

"Why don't you talk to me, instead?" Junior asked as he walked up to King K. Rool. "You said that you'd leave us alone if we stayed off your turf, why'd you come here?"

"Don't you get it, Monkey Brains?" K. Rool said bitterly, "This island is OURS, whether you like it or not!"

Junior trembled in anger, he rolled up an imaginary sleeve. "Why I oughta-"

"All right, men! TEAR THIS PLACE DOWN!"

The Kremlings immediately went to work, they began to burn down houses and chase down some of the Kongs. One of the groups DK saw were Lily and her husband. Lily was carrying Diddy over her shoulder. DK tried to go after them, but was forcefully pulled away by Cranky. "C'MON, WE'VE GOTTA FIND A PLACE TO HIDE!"

DK reluctantly agreed as he, along with some of the other Kongs, began to follow Cranky. Meanwhile, Junior stayed back. He swung one of his fists in K. Rool's direction. The crocodile dodged the attack and swung his sword at Junior. The fight went on for a while as the houses around them continued to burn, Junior and K. Rool would hit each other at any given chance. Finally, K. Rool raised his sword in an attempt to slice his enemy in half. Junior thought fast and swung his fist into K. Rool's stomach, causing the crocodile to collapse. He dramatically fell onto his side, as if he were playing dead. Junior felt that something was off, he knelt down to K. Rool's side and wondered if he had done too much damage to him.

K. Rool smirked, he plunged the sword into Junior's chest. Junior wasn't expecting this outcome, but he hoped that the other Kongs were able to escape. The last thing he was able to see before his vision faded was K. Rool's toothy grin.

"You should've killed me when you had the chance, now excuse me while I go look for your heir!"

* * *

 _ **...So although I'm going to be putting all of the chapters up, I should mention that I'm currently reworking DKC. I have the first chapter up on Ao3 right now, but I'll repost it here as soon as I'm done with this.**_


	2. Chapter 2

DK sat quietly as the rest of the remaining Kongs settled in the cave. The only thing that stood between them and the Kremlings outside was a large boulder, which DK was able to pull in front of the entrance. He hoped that none of the Kremlings would notice.

Looking at the other Kongs, DK felt his heart skip a beat. Some of the Kongs were huddled together for protection, others looked like they were on the verge of a panic attack. One Kong, who looked like an orangutan, looked like she was in some sort of endless trance. DK couldn't blame them, especially since they've lost their homes. Heck, some of them may have even lost their family. He couldn't even imagine how the other Kongs were doing outside, assuming they're still alive.

"Now listen up, everybody," Cranky said quietly, "Once Junior comes back, most of us are gonna have to retreat to Treetop Town. I know it's cowardly, but we don't have much of a choice."

"But what if Junior never comes back?" asked one of the younger Kongs.

"It's Junior, he'll find a way out of this mess." Cranky replied. "At least...I hope he does."

DK leaned against the boulder, he could hear someone talking outside. Cranky stood next to him, listening as best as he could.

"Do you think that we might've gone a little too far this time?"

"Yeah...but it's either them or us."

"True...so where to you think Junior's son went?"

"Eh...he's probably dead."

"Great, that means we could take over the island!"

"Yeah...Let's just hope somebody else got to him already, it was hard enough watching K. Rool stab Junior in the chest."

DK gasped in shock, Cranky shook his head. Junior couldn't actually be dead, could he? But from the looks of the other Kongs, it looked like they heard the same thing.

"What...what are we supposed to do now?" DK asked in an unusually quiet tone. Cranky opened his mouth, he was at a loss of words. Somewhere within the group of Kongs, he could hear his wife weeping. The old ape let out a deep sigh as he went over to comfort his wife. Given the solemn mood, it was hard to think about what to do next. Junior couldn't actually be dead, DK refused to believe it. Once the Kremlings were gone, he had to go out and see for himself. After all, his father's handled tough situations like this before. So perhaps he has the Kremlings fooled...Or at least that's what he wanted to believe.

There was no way his father could be dead.

* * *

It was dawn, everything had gone quit, the smell of ash had finally disappeared. DK looked around as he pushed the boulder in front of him, not a Kremling was in sight. He looked over at Cranky, "It's all clear!"

"Good, That should give us enough time to look for survivors," Cranky said as he came out of the cave.

"But what should the rest of us do?" Candy asked, we can't just stay here!"

"You should just go to Treetop Town," Cranky replied. "I'm sure if you explain everything that's happened, the Kongs over there should be able to let you stay for a while."

"OK, dudes!" Funky said as he peaked his head out of the cave, "You heard the man, let's go!"

As the rest of the remaining Kongs followed Funky, Cranky and DK had to stay back. After all, they had to keep an eye out for anyone that survived the onslaught. The duo began to make their way back to the village...or what was left of it. All that remained were ashes and a few dead bodies, lying among them was Junior. It was quite a heart-wrenching scene, the best that they could do for these Kongs was to give them a proper burial. The rest of the day was spent looking for survivors outside of the village. Cranky looked further into the jungle while DK searched throughout the beach. Nothing looked too out of the ordinary, aside from a few wounded critters here and there.

Eventually, DK was able to hear something. It wasn't a Kremling, but rather, it sounded like whimpering. DK noticed that the noise was coming from a barrel, he slowly made his way over until he saw a baby monkey curled up against the side. DK tilted his head. "...Diddy?"

Diddy immediately responded to his name. He looked terrified, not that DK was surprised or anything. He wondered if Lily was hiding nearby, he looked around the area without keeping the barrel out of his sight. He didn't want to think of the worst that could happen to her, but to his horror, he found her lying face-down behind a few plants. There was blood trailing off a hole her back. He picked up his sister and took her back to the beach before burying her with sand. He couldn't imagine what her last moments were like, it made him sick to his stomach.

And then there was Diddy. For all DK knew, he probably spent the whole night in that barrel hiding. DK looked into the barrel again. This time, Diddy scrambled to stay as far away from his uncle as possible.

"Hey, I'm not gonna hurt ya," DK said as he slowly put his arm into the barrel. "Now C'mon, let's get you outta here!"

Diddy looked up at the older primate with concern, it was as if he were expecting some sort of trick. He carefully climbed onto DK's hand and held onto his wrist. He felt tense, but he held on nonetheless.

DK made his way back to the village while still carrying Diddy in his hand. There, he saw Cranky with a few other Kongs. They had a few cuts and bruises on them, but besides that, they appeared to be fine.

"So did you find anyone?" Cranky asked.

"Well...I found Diddy," DK replied, showing him the monkey in his hand. Cranky tilted his head to the side, "He was the only one you found?"

"Uh...I DID find Lily, but she-."

"I see..." Cranky began to scratch his head. "I figured as much. And I guess there was no sign of her husband, either?"

DK shook his head.

"Well then...If you didn't find any other Kongs, then we'll have to get going. Besides, those lizards could come back at any minute now."

DK huffed in annoyance, but he knew that Cranky was right. The faster they made it to Treetop Town, the better. But even then, he felt like he should do SOMETHING about these Kremlings.

He looked at Diddy, the young monkey was looking all over the place. It must've felt nice not having to be in that barrel, and DK certainly couldn't blame him. The troop started to move, DK brought his hand near his shoulder. "Y'know, it'd probably better if you were on my back."

Diddy stared at him with a wide-eyed expression, he refused to let go of DK's wrist. The older primate shrugged as he held Diddy close to his chest. "All right, but don't say I didn't warn ya!"

Diddy squeaked in response, DK couldn't help but shake his head. Babies were weird creatures.

* * *

After crossing the jungle, the troop was able to make their way into the caves. They were littered with old barrels and mine carts, which the moles liked to use every once in a while. It was slightly nostalgic to DK, as he used to explore the caves with Candy when they were still kids. Of course, Candy wasn't as adventurous as she used to be. But even then, it wouldn't stop them from coming back from time to time.

There was a bit of chatter among the Kongs. Some of them wondered what would happen to the island, others wondered if DK was really fit to be a king (not that DK could blame them). And then there were a couple Kongs who tried to stay hopeful, even after some of the chaos that had happened.

"Hey, DK!"

DK turned his attention towards Cranky, he had a perplexed look on his face. "Do you actually plan on keeping that thing?"

"Yeah...?" DK said bitterly. "'I can't just leave him back there!"

"I know that," Cranky replied, "But it's just...you're hardly even a grown-up, yourself!"

"So what?" DK asked, "Funky and Swanky are even younger than I am, so obviously I'm the only one who can take care of him."

"What about us, ya baboon?" Cranky grumbled. "Do you really think that we can't take care of a baby!?"

"N-no, I didn't mean it like that!" DK said frantically, "I honestly didn't think you'd WANT to take care of him."

"I don't," Cranky said bluntly, "but I know Wrinkly would."

"She would...wouldn't she?"

Cranky huffed in annoyance. "I'll tell ya what. You can keep the kid, but I'll also have Wrinkly checking in on you two so you won't get into any trouble. Sound good?"

"Of course," DK said positively, "I'll take good care of him!"

"Good, 'cause you're gonna help out with the other Kongs until we can figure a way out of this mess!"

"Yes, sir," DK said quietly. He knew he had to help everyone else, he's supposed to be King after all. Not only was he going to fill Lily's shoes, but he would have to fill in Junior's shoes as well. Just thinking about it was exhausting.

DK felt something wrap around his finger. He looked down, Diddy looked like he had started to doze off, his tail was wrapped around DK's finger as if he were hanging off a tree branch.

"How are you fallin' asleep when we're the ones walkin'!?" Cranky joked, "I swear, this kid's got some nerve!"

DK gave his grandfather a thin smile, he figured that Cranky wasn't a complete jerk.

The troop made their way out of the caves and into the ruins, they were almost to Treetop Town.

* * *

 ** _Fun fact: A group of gorillas is called a troop. This also applies to monkeys, though I don't know if it applies to Orangutans._**


	3. Chapter 3

After what seemed like forever, the Kongs finally made it to Treetop Town. As the name implied, the town was made up of tall treehouses. Most of the residents here consisted of monkeys and orangutans, unlike what used to be Kongo Jungle, which mostly consisted of gorillas.

DK looked around. In the middle of town, Wrinkly was speaking to a couple of orangutans. Beside her were Funky and Candy, both of which had looks of concern on their faces. As soon as Funky noticed DK, his face instantly lit up. "Yo! Where've ya been, Donkey-Dude?"

"We...had to take care of something," DK replied as the Kongs following him reunited with their neighbors.

"So did you two find Junior?" Candy asked.

"We did..." DK said solemnly "We had to bury him with some of the other dead Kongs that we found."

Candy looked absolutely horrified. She, along with the other Kongs, knew that Junior was dead. However, she didn't want to believe that other Kongs would have died back there as well. Funky couldn't even think of a response to that. While it was hard to tell what emotions Funky had, DK could always tell when he was angry...And Tiki Tong knows what will happen when Funky gets angry.

"So...Did you find Lily at all?" Funky asked, trying to sound calm. DK frowned, he presented Diddy to the duo. "I found Diddy, but..."

"Huh...I'm surprised the Kremlings haven't killed him off, either," Funky said, earning a glare from Candy.

"I'm pretty sure she hid him so the Kremlings couldn't find him," DK replied. "So now I'm stuck havin' to take care of her kid."

"Are you sure you can handle it?" Candy asked, "Babies are a lot of work, y'know."

"I'm sure I'll be fine," DK said positively, "After all, he hasn't been much trouble since I found him."

"uh..." Funky tilted his head. "I mean...he ain't screaming at ya so far, then I guess you're good."

DK took one weary glace at Diddy. Somehow, the young monkey was still asleep. After all that time traveling, DK wouldn't mind taking a nap himself...Now if only there was a place to doze off.

* * *

It was night time, everything had finally settled down, the Kongs of Treetop Town built tents for their unexpected guests. These tents formed a circle near the town square, which made it so nobody was in each other's way.

Donkey Kong crawled into his tent. He held Diddy in one hand and held six bottles of milk in the other hand, courtesy of the shop keeper. The tent didn't have much going for it. There was a large blanket, a pillow, a basket, and a barrel of fruit...but he couldn't complain, at least it was better than nothing.

He placed Diddy into the basket with the bottles of milk next to him. Diddy looked up at his uncle confused, he tilted his head.

"Hold on, I gotcha!" DK said as he grabbed one of the bottles and offered it to his nephew. Diddy grabbed the bottle by the neck and started to chug down the milk. This would've been a lot easier if there were any baby bottles lying around, but DK had to work with what he had. And hey, at least Diddy thought nothing of it.

As soon as the milk was half-gone, Diddy began to look outside. He looked as if he was waiting for someone, and DK had a good idea who it was.

"Your waiting for mom, aren't ya?"

Diddy looked back at DK, this time with an even more confused look. For DK, it was a little hard to forget that babies don't understand the meaning of death. For all Diddy knew, Lily could've just been sleeping in the sand.

DK grabbed an orange from the barrel and started to peel it. "Y'know...I've known Lily a lot longer than you have. And lemme tell ya, she's a brat!"

Diddy squeaked again, it was as if he were trying to talk to DK.

"Apparently, there was one night where these things took me out of the tree house. I think they might've been Koopas or something? But once I came back, Lily would just cling to me just to make sure I didn't get kidnapped again. Believe me, it was NOT fun." DK threw the peal away and started eating the orange, "She did a lot of crazy things when we were kids. She hid a lily pad in my room, she broke Cranky's window with an acorn,she even took off with her boyfriend once. But once we got older, we started to get along pretty well."

"Ahh!" Diddy squeaked as he started to lay down. He listened intently to his uncle, even though he couldn't understand a word he said.

"Y'know...I've always wondered why I was chosen to be the King, and not Lily. I guess Tiki Tong knew what would've happened to her. If I had known those Kremlings would attack us, then I would've done something...I SHOULD'VE done something. Those Kongs would still be alive if it weren't for me."

DK expected Diddy to squeak back in response. But instead, all he heard was light snoring. Diddy was curled up in the basket, sleeping. DK laid down next to him and lightly tapped his head.

"I couldn't save those Kongs," DK said quietly, "but I'll do my best to keep you safe. It's a promise!"

The big ape lightly pinched Diddy's hand, he was such a tiny little creature. DK hadn't known him for a long time, but even then, was determined to protect Diddy at all costs.

* * *

It was late at night, Diddy had woken up to the sound of rain outside the tent. He looked down, his uncle was passed out next to him. He wondered why that is, usually his mom was the one that slept next to him, so why was his uncle here instead?

Diddy crawled out of the basket and sat near the entrance of the tent. He was fascinated by the rain as it kept pouring onto the town. Hardly anyone else was outside, save for a few animals here and there. It looked like running around out there could be fun.

"CRACK!"

Suddenly, thunder was heard outside. Diddy screamed as he scrambled to get back to the basket. The noise alerted DK, he sat up and expected some sort of attack. Instead, he was met with Diddy "barking" at the thunder outside.

"What's the matter?" DK asked as he grabbed Diddy by the tail, "Did the thunder wake you up?"

Diddy kept screeching at the thunder, flailing his arms as if he were trying to attack something.

"Easy there, buddy," DK said as he placed Diddy back into the basket. "It's just thunder, it ain't gonna hurt ya."

Of course, Diddy kept screeching at the thunder outside. DK laid back down and started rubbing his nephew's head. "Just take it easy there, buddy."

Diddy started to calm down, he leaned his head against his uncle's hand like a dog wanting to be pet. DK looked outside, there was hardly any light outside save for the occasional lightning. DK could just go back asleep if he wanted to, but he couldn't just leave Diddy alone.

Still, he wasn't aware that a baby could have a fight response to something like thunder, or did he think the thunder was another animal? Whatever it was, it didn't matter.

Once Diddy had calmed down, DK began to doze off. But before he could, he felt something clinging onto his arm. He opened one of his eyes, Diddy was leaning against him with his tail wrapped over his wrist.

"What's this now?" DK asked, resisting the urge to lift his arm. "I thought you'd rather sleep in the basket."

Diddy yawned as he buried his face into DK's fur, he didn't seem to care. DK had to admit, his sister had an interesting kid. He stayed perfectly still as Diddy fell asleep. Eventually, the rain calmed down. And once the rain calmed down, DK could finally fall asleep.

* * *

"C'mon, DK! It's time to wake up."

"Ya see? You're being too nice again."

"But I don't want to wake Diddy."

"Well, he's going to wake up anyway!"

"OK, fine! But at least let me pick him up first."

"...Are you good?"

"Yes."

"Good, now...IT'S TIME TO WAKE UP, YA LAZY BUM!"

DK huffed at his grandfather's words. Somehow, all he could imagine was waking up from guarding the banana hoard. The ape sat up, still half-asleep. He noticed that Diddy was sitting in Wrinkly's arms.

"Listen up, DK. We need to gather more fruit for the Kongs here. After all, this town can only give us so much."

"Well...what kind of fruit did you have in mind?"

"Whatever it is we can find up here," Cranky said. "Walnuts, peanuts, pineapples...you name it."

"OK. But shouldn't we be talking about how to take the beach back from the Kremlings?"

"After what happened to Junior?" Cranky asked with a hint of worry in his voice. "I'm sorry, but we'll need a lot more from you if you think you'll stand a chance against King K. Rool."

DK grumbled, but there wasn't much he could do. He looked over at Diddy with a concerned look. "You'll be able to keep an eye on him while I'm gone, right?"

"Of course, deary," Wrinkly said. "Just do what you have to do, we'll be right here waiting for you."

"C'mon, DK!" Cranky yelled as he left the tent. DK began to follow after him. As much as he wanted to figure out how to take out the Kremlings, it looked like he needed to take care of everything else first.


	4. Chapter 4

While the Kongs stayed hidden, the Kremlings quickly made their way to what remained of the Kongs' village. Some of them noticed how the dead Kongs have been buried, though they weren't sure who it was that buried them. It certainly couldn't have been their future king.

Speaking of which, King K. Rool was standing in the Banana Hoard. He wondered how Junior and his son could acquire so many of them. He grabbed a banana and took a bite out of it, only to spit it out in pure disgust. He didn't even think about removing the peel.

"Um...Your majesty?"

K. Rool quickly turned his head, he tossed the peel out of the way. "So...did you find either of those Donkey Kongs?"

"No we haven't," said one of the Kremlings. "But from the looks of it, I think they might've buried everyone here."

"And yet you still haven't seen them?" K. Rool asked.

"W-we'll keep looking!" Another Kremling yelled. K. Rool snorted. "Tear this place up if you have to. The sooner we kill those Kongs, the better!"

"And what about Junior's kid? Should we do something?"

K. Rool began to smile like a maniac. "You leave that one to me!"

And thus, the Kremlings began to explore deeper into the island. The sooner they got rid of those Kongs, the better.

* * *

It was night, again. This time, however, the cold winds coming from Gorilla Glacier were making their way into Treetop Town. It was so cold, not even the Kremlings would be foolish enough to come here.

DK had just set Diddy into his basket, the older Kong was digging through his barrel of fruit when he heard his nephew whimpering. When DK turned his head, he could see Diddy curled up with his tail wrapped around him.

"Oh gees," DK said quietly. As a big ape, DK didn't mind the cold air. So of course, he didn't think it would bother Diddy too much. He took Diddy out of the basket and wrapped himself in a blanket. Diddy peaked his head out of the blanket, he gave DK a curious look.

"You OK, Diddy?"

"Ahh..."

"Yo, Donkey-dude!

DK turned his head, he saw Funky trying to crawl into the tent. "Mind if I chill here for a bit?"

"Not at all," DK replied. Diddy looked up at Funky, he gave him a content look.

"Is Candy here?" DK asked.

"No, but she should be comin' over pretty soon." Funky assured him. "And by the way, how's the little guy doin'?"

"Well he's stopped screaming at me for one thing," DK replied. "And last night, he fell asleep right next to me."

Funky smiled warmly at the older Kong. "Looks like he's warmin' up to ya, already."

DK looked down at Diddy, the young monkey looked back at him in return. The duo were eerily quiet for a few moments until Diddy responded with another confused squeak. DK held him even closer. "Yep, I'd say we're a little closer than we were before."

"Haha...I'd bet that Lily would've loved to see this!"

"...Yeah," DK said smiling faintly, "I'm sure she would. She DID say he'd look up to me, after all."

"Are you in here, DK?" asked someone else as she entered the tent. It was Candy, her hair was tied back with a ribbon.

"C'mon, dude! Sit with us!" Funky offered as Candy sat down between the two gave the duo a puzzled look. "So why did you guys come over? Did you need something?"

"Yeah, we need to get those Kremling off our island!" Funky said bluntly. Candy shook her head. "What he means is that we need to come up with a plan. And since you're supposed to be our King, we figured that you'd be able to help us."

"I dunno," DK said reluctantly. "After what happened to dad, I don't even know if I stand a chance."

"Of course you do!" Funky said confidently. "All you need is some help."

"I...What?"

"Let's face it," Funky said, "We can't hide out here forever!"

"And yeah, we know Junior couldn't beat King K. Rool on his own," Candy added, "That's why we've gotta beat him, together."

DK went silent. He wasn't sure if it was possible for him to beat someone like King K. Rool. He also wasn't sure if he liked the idea of Candy and Funky fighting alongside him. And what about Diddy? What will happen to him if K. Rool DID find the Kongs.

...And yet, these were his people. He couldn't just abandon these Kongs. And as scared as he was of King K. Rool, Candy and Funky were right.

"OK," DK said quietly, "I'm in!"

Awesome!" Funky said, giving DK a thumb's up. "I knew you'd have our backs!"

"So what do you think we should do?" Candy asked.

DK began to think, he tilted his head back. "Well...Funky's good at making stuff, maybe he could make some weapons?"

"I'll see if I can do that out here," Funky replied, "But what kind of weapon are we talking about?"

Again, DK began to think. Running up to K. Rool would be a bad idea, so attacking him up-close would be a bad idea.

"Why don't we make slingshots?" Candy asked.

"That's actually a good idea," DK replied. "Do you think you could do that, Funky?"

"Of course," Funky replied. "Now we just gotta figure out what we'll use for ammo?"

"Could we use rocks?"

"We COULD, but I don't wanna risk goin' back down," Funky said with uncertainty, "Why not just use acorns like Lily used to do?"

"I don't know if acorns will do the job, either," Candy replied. "There's gotta be something we could come up with..."

The trio went completely silent, they began to think about what they could use against those Kremlings. They couldn't use fruit, since it was all the food they had. They obviously couldn't use barrels, so what else was there?

Meanwhile, Diddy began to squirm uncomfortably. He looked over at the milk that was sitting beside the basket. He squeaked as he pulled at his uncle's fur.

"Oh, are you hungry?" DK asked as he grabbed one of the milk bottles before holding it in front of Diddy. "Sorry, about that."

As Diddy began to drink from the bottle, Funky's eyes began to light up. "Yo, what if we just use bottles against those Kremlings?"

"What? Why?"

"'Cause those bottles would be light enough for the slingshot, yet they'd be hard enough to teach those guys a lesson."

DK looked back, there were plenty of empty bottles laying against the side of the tent. He didn't even realize how much milk his nephew could drink at once. Perhaps he could find a way to make this work?

"I think we could do it," DK said. "But what'll we do when the Kremlings DO find us?"

"I'll keep an eye out for them," Candy said as she pulled out her flute. "When I see them coming, I'll use my flute to let you guys know when they're here."

"You mean to tell me that you kept that flute with you this whole time?" DK said, shrugged. "You never know when you'll need it."

"Anyway...I should be able to have them done by tomorrow," Funky said scratching the back of his head. "In the meantime, just keep an eye on Diddy. I'm sure we'll have plenty of bottles to work with by tomorrow."

Funky left the tent before anyone could say anything. DK gave Candy a concerned look. "Are you sure you'll be OK out there?"

"I'll be fine," Candy replied. "I mean, this hasn't been the first time I've gotten us out of trouble."

"But K. Rool could-"

"He could kiss my butt for all I care," Candy retorted. "I know you're worried, DK. But like Funky said, we can't hide forever."

"...I know."

Candy gave DK a faint smile, she placed a hand over his shoulder. "We'll be fine, DK. If we stick together, then I'm sure-."

"Aaah!"

DK looked down at Diddy, who'd managed to drink the entire bottle of milk. He looked nauseated, DK picked him up and tilted his head. "What's wrong?"

"I think it's gas," Candy replied, "Either that or you gave him too much milk."

"Oh..." DK noticed the empty bottle sitting next to him. "Is that what's wrong?"

"Aah!" Diddy squeaked uncomfortably. DK brought his nephew over his shoulder and started patting his back. Candy gave DK a worried look, "Uh...maybe you shouldn't be doing to hard?"

"Psh...I know what I'm doing," DK said stubbornly. One moment later, Diddy managed to let out a loud burp. He looked dazed at first, but he quickly climbed onto his uncle's shoulder and squeaked in excitement. Candy looked at the duo in confusion. "How did you-"

"He's actually not as bad as I thought he'd be," DK replied. "If you think about it, babies are just people that are new to this world."

"...Well you're not wrong," Candy replied. "So what'll you do with him when the Kremlings find us?"

"Well...If he's not with Wrinky, I'll probably hide him in the basket."

"But what if they find him?"

"They won't!" DK said bitterly. "I'll make sure of it."

Candy wanted to argue, but she resisted. In fact, she hadn't seen her friend get so protective of over what should be a complete stranger to him. She knelt down to Diddy's eye level and patted hid head. "In that case, we'll have to fight back as best as we can. We're not Junior, but believe me, DK. We can STILL pull this off."

Once Candy left the tent, DK took his nephew off his shoulder. "Good thing you don't have to worry about this kind of stuff yet...Assuming Tiki Tong chooses you to be our next King."

"Ooh?" Diddy tilted his head, once again trying to understand his uncle.

"And hey, I'm sure those Kremlings won't lay a finger on ya...Although K. Rool worries me a bit."

Diddy's only response was a yawn, he curled up in DK's palm and tried to sleep.

"Well that was rude," DK commented as he placed Diddy back into the basket. DK curled up right beside him, he attempted to fall back asleep. However, he was quick to notice Diddy crawling out of his basket and lay down on top of DK's arm. It was like watching a kid pass out after a long day at school.

"I just can't shake you off, can I?" DK teased, not that Diddy would understand him anyway. Nonetheless, he let Diddy fall asleep on his arm again. He had to admit, he really liked having Diddy around. Perhaps when he grew up, he'll probably turn out as mischievous as Lily used to be.

...But of course, Diddy was not Lily, and neither was DK. He would never call himself a parent, but he was determined to be the best uncle he could ever be.


	5. Chapter 5

It was the middle of the day, and Funky was still working on a slingshot...Or rather, it was more like a cross between a slingshot and a crossbow. Nonetheless, Funky liked howit was turning out. Especially with what little materials he had.

Funky looked over at Candy, she was sitting at the edge of the bridge while holding a telescope. So far, she hadn't been able to find any Kremlings. So far so good.

"Hey, Candy. Do you wanna take a break? I could take over if ya want!"

"That's nice of you to offer," Candy said, "but we've gotta wait for DK to come back."

"Suit yourself," Funky replied as he finished the slingshot. "There, now we've got two more to go."

Before Funky could work on his second one, he spotted DK walking besides Cranky along the bridge. The young ape shook his head in disbelief, what was Cranky doing here?

"So what's this I hear about you guys getting back at the Kremlings?"

"Cranky, please!" DK begged, only to get a stern look from Cranky.

"Well y'see, we were just goin' to scare the Kremlings off our island." Funky replied.

"Well I highly doubt that a little weapon like THAT will do anything," Cranky said pointing to the slingshot.

"Then what do you s'pose we do," Funky argued.

"We're supposed to hide from those Kremlings, you baboon!"

"But what if they find us?"

"They won't!"

"And how can ya be so sure?"

"Look, it's bad enough we've lost those Kongs back in our village, we don't need to lose any more!"

"But that's EXACTLY what'll happen if we don't fight back!"

"Well it's gonna take more than the three of you to scare 'em off!"

"Then why don't we go look for help?" DK asked, earning looks from both Cranky and Funky.

"I mean..." DK began to speak quietly, "They don't have to be other Kongs, we could see if there are any animals that wanna help us too."

"Actually, aren't there supposed to be parrots out here?" Candy asked, looking back at the trio. Funky had a hand under his chin. "Actually, yeah. Parrots could work...But what about elephants?"

"Don't they live closer to the jungle?"

"Well whatever," Cranky said as he bitterly stormed off. "You guys want to get yourselves killed? Then be my guest!"

DK huffed in annoyance, each day it was getting harder to believe that Cranky could handle an entire island on his own. He was tempted to call him out for being such a coward, but he didn't want any more conflict then he already had.

"So how are things goin' with the slingshot?" DK asked Funky.

"It's lookin' good so far," Funky said, "Now I just gotta make two more."

"Hopefully you'll be done by the time the Kremlings find us."

"If they find us, then I'll just throw the slingshot at K. Rool's head," Funky replied jokingly.

"So are you actually serious about finding help?" Candy asked DK with concern.

"I mean...I hate to admit it, but Cranky's right. With just the three of us, those Kremlings could take us down easily."

"So what kind of animals do ya think you'll find?"

"Well I could always look for Rambi, he's probably somewhere chasing squirrels or somethin'."

"Again?" Funky asked, concerned. "He'll tear down the whole island if he keeps that up!"

"If you're gonna look for him, then please be careful," Candy warned.

"I'll be fine," DK replied, "Just make sure there aren't any Kremlings here by the time I get back."

And with that, Donkey Kong made his way down to the forest floor. He looked up at Candy and Funky, both of them gave him a thumbs up before he left.

"Y'know...it's funny how he says he's a bad leader, and yet he's the only one that wants to help us!"

Candy shrugged. "Well? Cranky won't do anything, and everyone else feels hopeless after Junior died. So of course, I don't blame DK for trying to take care of everything else."

"Fair enough," Funky said crossing his arms. "I don't think I'd ever be able to handle becoming a leader, so it's a good thing Tiki Tong didn't choose me instead."

"Oh please," Candy teased, "If he'd chosen you, you'd still be in that shack of yours building that plane!"

"That or I would've gotten buried in the sand, too," Funky said in a more serious tone. "And I don't think DK would've been able to handle that."

Candy replied with a nod. With everything that happened so far, all that they could do was support DK until the very end. But as long as he kept going, then everything should turn out just fine.

* * *

DK quietly made his way through the forest, he stayed within the treetops in case any Kremlings walked by. It wasn't just the Kremlings he was worried about, he could run into all sorts of enemies out here: Gnawties, Neckies, Tiki Torches...Heck, he was even worried about running into traitors of the Kong family. Thankfully, however, there was no sign of them.

Up ahead, DK spotted a rhino eating leaves off some of the plants around it. The ape quietly made his way to the ground, he looked around just to make sure the Kremlings weren't around.

"Hey, Rambi!" He whispered, causing the Rhino's ears to perk upwards like a dog. Quickly, Rambi began to charge towards DK.

"No! Stop! Rambi!" DK said as he frantically waved his arms to stop the rhino. Just before he ran into DK, Rambi stopped himself and sat down, panting as his tail wagged back and fourth.

"OK, Rambi...I'm gonna need you to help us out," DK said. "Do you know where we could find more animals around here?"

Rambi sat up and snorted, he began to trot through the trees as DK walked beside him. They continued to walk deeper and deeper within the forest, to the point where hardly any sunlight was seen. DK shuttered, as he remembered being in dark forests like this as a child. He remembered when one of those reject orangutans kidnapped him along with the entire Banana Hoard. It took Junior a whole day just to look for him. Suddenly, DK couldn't help but smile as he remembered Junior punching him into the heavens. And of course, that was the last time that DK had seen that Orangutan.

Eventually, the duo made it to a small clearing. DK could've sworn he heard parrots around here. Sure enough, a green parrot peaked his head out of the bushes. He tilted his head for a moment before he decided to speak.

"Is that you, DK?"

"Yep, it's me," DK replied.

"Oh, thank goodness," Squawks said in relief. He turned his head around. "IT'S OK, GUYS! IT'S JUST DK!"

DK heard sighs of relief from within the trees, parrots of different colors began to surround the ape while Squawks sat on top of Rambi's head.

"So what brings you hear?" Squawks asked, "Did you guys need something?"

"Actually, I was hoping that you guys would be able to help us beat the Kremlings."

"You really think that we'd stand a chance against THEM!?" Squawks asked, bitterly. "They're crocs for Pete's sake!"

"Well I don't have a lot of other options," DK replied. "I can't just force the other Kongs to fight with me, you know!?"

"Well what about Junior?" asked a purple parrot, "Why can't he take care of this mess?"

"He tried," DK said bitterly. "He's...no longer with us."

All of the parrots gasped in horror, they began to whisper among themselves. DK let out a huge sigh. "Look, all I'm asking for is some help, you don't even have to do anything too big."

The parrots had all gone silent, they looked up to Squawks for reassurance.

"Well...since you guys are in a bit of a bind, we'll try to help you out as much as possible." Squawks said.

"We could spit eggs at them," one parrot suggested.

"We could throw barrels at them!" another parrot yelled. Soon enough, the group of parrots had started to become more rowdy. Squawks shook his head in amusement. "While these guys are all riled up, I'm gonna go see if anyone else can help you out."

"Thanks, Squawks," DK replied, "I'll meet you back in Treetop Town."

Squawks began to fly off in search of other animal friends. As he left, DK called out to the rest of the parrots. "C'mon, guys! Let's get back to Treetop Town!"

The parrots cheered in unison as DK climbed onto Rambi's back. The rhino began to dash through the forest. DK began to feel a little more confident about being a king. Perhaps with enough help, he really could get rid of those Kremlings.

* * *

The sun was beginning to set, nocturnal animals were starting to come out of their homes...Only to retreat back as a pair of Kremlings walked by. One of them was small and green. The other one, however, was blue and large. Unlike the other Kremlings, these two were much more calm compared to everything else.

"So what do you think we should do once we get rid of the Kongs?" asked the green kremling, the blue one began to think."Maybe we could sell the island to the Snowmads?"

"After what they did to us?" asked the green one, "I don't think K. Rool would want that."

"But I just want to be friends with them, again."

"You want to be friends with everybody!"

Suddenly, the ground began to shake, the blue Kremling grabbed the green one and pulled him into the bushes. As they hid, they spotted a rhino running by with a gorilla on his back and several parrots following behind him. The green one raised an eyebrow, that gorilla looked an awful lot like Junior's son.

"...Should we follow him?" asked the blue Kremling.

"Sounds like a bad idea," The green Kremling replied. "We should tell King K. Rool!"

With that, the Kremlings made their way through the forest and headed back to the jungle. Surely, King K. Rool must have a good plan for this!

* * *

It had finally gotten dark, DK climbed off of Rambi's back and patted his snout. "All right, Rambi. All I need you to do now is stay here and wait."

Rambi snorted in response as he laid down on the floor. Meanwhile, the parrots gathered around the nearby trees. There wasn't any sign of Squawks, he must still be out there looking for animals. Just before DK made his way back up to Treetop Town, a group of Ostriches made their way to DK, calling out as if they wanted something.

"Not bad, huh?" Squawks said as he sat on top of one of them, a black Ostrich with white shoes. "Expresso's family agreed to help us out too."

"Wait, so they're OK with it?"

"Of course," Squawks replied. "With a bird army right by your side, you can always count on us!"

"...Thanks, you guys," DK said happily. "Just keep your ears open. Once Candy plays her flute, that's when you'll wanna attack.'

"You got it, DK! Squawks said as he flew into the trees. With his new army settled in, DK began to climb his way back up to Treetop town. Once he climbed, he saw Candy had passed out. Funky sat next to her, he was looking around through the telescope.

"Any Kremlings?" DK asked. Funky shook his head. "Nothin' yet, dude."

"Huh...they're certainly taking their sweet time."

"Yeah, but we may as well enjoy the peace while we can," Funky replied. "Also, I'm glad you were able to look for help. "Hopefully, it'll give us a better chance against those Kremlings."

"Yep," DK replied, "let's hope for the best!"

While Funky continued to keep an eye out for the Kremlings, DK started to head back home. He looked inside of his tent, Diddy was sleeping inside his backet while Wrinkly sat next to him. She was reading one of her favorite books, DK recalled that it had something to do with a magic triangle or something.

Wrinkly looked up from her book, she gave DK a warm smile and gestured for him to come inside the tent. "We've been waiting all day for you, dearie."

"Sorry about that," DK said as he crawled into the tent and sat down next to Wrinkly. "So how's Diddy been?"

"Well," Wrinkly said as she closed her book, "He got a little fussier earlier than usual. But other then that, he was an angel."

"...Sounds about right," DK replied. "I s'pose it's because he hasn't seen me since this morning."

"Oh, I'm sure he missed you," Wrinkly said. "And if that's the case, you'd better give him all the unconditional love you can give him."

"OK, Wrinkly," DK said awkwardly. Wrinkly stood up slowly, she held her book beside her and patted her grandson's head. "I'll see you guys tomorrow, then."

"All right, I'll see ya later," DK said as Wrinkly made her way back to her tent. He looked at Diddy, the baby monkey looked like he was at peace with the world. DK was tempted to wake him up, but he quickly shook that thought away as he'd feel bad about waking him up. After all, he had enough grumpy Kongs to deal with.

DK laid down beside him, he wrapped his arm around the basket as if to protect him. It was hard to think that not that long ago, Diddy hated him, It was hard to believe that he'd scream at DK whenever he got close.

...But now, all he wanted to do was keep Diddy safe, he wanted this kid to grow up big and strong. All of the adventures he could have, all of the friends he could make...There was so much that Diddy had to look forward to, and DK wanted nothing more than for him to experience these things.

Diddy was always going to be Lily's kid, but DK would always he his guardian. And for now, he wanted nothing more than to keep Diddy safe.

* * *

 _ **I intended for those Kremlings to be Klump and Krusha, it they could be anyone else if you wanted.**_


	6. Chapter 6

It was late at night, Diddy had just woken up. He was startled at first, as he recalled falling asleep in his great grandmother's arms. However, as he turned his head, he was relieved to see his uncle right by his side.

Diddy crawled out of his basket and sat in front of DK. He tried tapping his arms, the big guy wouldn't budge. He climbed onto DK's arm and started tapping his face. Once again, nothing happened. Finally, Diddy crouched down as if he were a cat catching a mouse. Finally, he threw himself against DK's face.

"ACK!" DK yelled as he jolted awake, rubbing his nose. "Who's there!?"

Diddy squeaked in pure excitement, which earned him a confused look from his uncle.

"Did you really miss me that much?" DK asked as Diddy continued to squeak. He quietly chuckled as he allowed Diddy to crawl onto his hand. "What am I gonna do with ya?"

Diddy looked up at DK with a curious expression, it was as if he wasn't sure what to do now. DK felt bad, he didn't have any toys or anything for his nephew to play with. Still, he had to make the most with what he had. He placed Diddy back onto the ground and covered his face with a blanket. Diddy tilted his head in confusion, he slowly crawled closer to DK and squeaked.

"Boo!" DK said quietly as he dropped the blanket, causing Diddy to fumble backwards. He was concerned at first, but once his nephew started laughing afterwards. DK covered his face again, this game went on for a little while with Diddy always laughing as soon as DK revealed himself. Finally, Diddy tugged against the blanket. Like DK, he tried to cover his face. The older Kong gave him a confused look, "where'd ya go?"

"Aah-aah!" Diddy yelled as he threw the blanket off of him. DK jumped backwards, pretending to be shocked. As expected, Diddy kept laughing about it. DK shook his head, "What am I gonna do with ya, kid?"

Diddy continued to giggle, he grabbed onto the blanket once again...

* * *

Meanwhile, Candy and Funky were still outside keeping an eye out for the Kremlings...Or they would be if it weren't so late.

Candy had been asleep for several hours now, she was leaning against a crate. Funky, on the other hand, was starting to nod off. Of course...he hasn't seen any Kremlings yet, so perhaps a quick nap wouldn't hurt...

...At least that's what he thought until he heard distressed parrot noises. Squawks flew down from the canopy and screamed frantically. "THEY'RE HERE! THEY'RE HERE!"

Funky looked through his telescope, he could see the Kremlings making their way to Treetop Town. Quickly, he nudged Candy awake. "Dude, wake up!"

"What!?"

"The Kremlings are comin' for us!"

Without much time to think, Candy grabbed her flute and played a loud melody. She was hopeful that everyone could hear it. Sure enough, Rambi charged head-first, along with the birds following behind him.

"All right, now we gotta wait for DK!" Candy said, keeping an eye out for the Kremlings.

* * *

DK shot upwards as he heard the flute. He grabbed Diddy and hid him inside the basket...and then he hid the basket inside the barrel, better safe than sorry!

"Sorry, little guy!" DK said as he grabbed as many bottles as he could carry, "I'll be back real soon, OK?"

Before Diddy could even react, DK ran as fast as his legs could carry him. He ran towards Candy and Funky, he nearly dropped the bottles. "Did I miss anything?"

"Not much," Funky replied. He grabbed several bottles from DK's arms and placed them in a bag before giving it to Candy. "But we'd better hurry if we wanna get rid of 'em!"

"You got it," DK replied as he allowed Funky to grab a several more bottles, receiving a bag in return. The trio made their way down and joined the rest of DK's makeshift army.

Kremlings were all over the place, a group of them were terrorizing some of the ostriches before Rambi knocked them down. Some of the larger Kremlings were trying to take down as many parrots as possible, all while getting pelted in the face with eggs, stones, and whatever else the parrots could find. One of the Kremlings leapt onto DK's back and tried to choke him, except Candy pelted in the face with a bottle before he could do anything.

There were so many Kremlings down here, and yet there was no sign of King K. Rool. He felt like there was something fishy going on, like K. Rool would sneak up on him and stab him in the chest like he did with Junior. Nonetheless, the ape had to keep his guard up, he had to keep protecting his tribe from these Kremlings...even if it meant never seeing his family or friends ever again.

* * *

As the chaos continued, King K. Rool decided to sneak into the village. While he wasn't expecting an army of birds to fight against them, K. Rool didn't really care. After all, he figured it would be easier to kill off the rest of the tribe himself.

The Kremling stopped in his footsteps, he could've sworn he heard a baby crying. He grabbed his sword just in case anyone tried to attack him, he walked inside the tent only to be greeted with a pigsty.

"Seriously, do these Kongs even know how to pick up after themselves?" K. Rool thought out loud. He walked closer to the barrel and spotted Diddy inside, the baby monkey continued to cry his heart out.

"Disgusting!" K. Rool said bitterly, he raised his sword and was ready to kill the child in front of him...No, he couldn't kill this child! He may be evil, but even he had to have SOME standards!

"How would you like to be my heir instead?" K. Rool asked as he picked Diddy up from the barrel. "Think about it, little one. If you become one of us, I'll let you live like a prince. Doesn't that sound nice?"

Diddy began to cry louder, which caused K. Rool to panic. "I'll take that as a yes," K. Rool said quickly as he ran outside with the infant. Kongs began to come outside of their tents with confusion, only for some of them to retreat back upon seeing the Kremling King.

"What's with all that racket!?" yelled a very cranky...Cranky as he came out of his tent. His eyes suddenly widened as he noticed what K. Rool was holding. "I-is that-"

"I'd stay back if I were you," K. Rool said as he pulled out his sword and pointed it towards Cranky's chest. "...Unless of course you want to end up like your son!"

"Eek!" Cranky backed away with his hands in the air. "Do you really think that taking over this island will do you any good? What'll you do when Tiki Tong finds out you've killed us all?"

"Do you really think I'm scared of a hunk of wood?" K. Rool hissed. He raised his sword and slashed at Cranky's chest, the hold ape screamed in absolute horror as he fell to the ground.

The other Kongs gasped in horror, K. Rool had everyone's attention, including DK. He should be scared out of his mind, he should be cowering in fear after seeing him attack Cranky like that. And yet, all he could feel was pure rage.

"Well this certainly isn't a safe place to raise a child," K. Rool teased, "Once I find a safer place for my new heir, I'll be sure the rest of you are taken care of!"

With that, K. Rool jumped off one of the bridges and landed on top of rambi. Frightened, Rambi began to charge through the jungle. DK wasn't going to let K. Rool get away with this, he hopped onto Expresso's back and began to chase K. Rool.

"WHERE ARE YOU GOIN', DONKEY-DUDE!" Funky yelled, but it was too late, DK was gone. With most of the Kremlings exhausted from fighting, Candy began to make her way back up to treetop town. There, she could see some of the Kongs circling around Cranky and Wrinkly. Cranky held onto his wife's shoulder for support, he looked like a wounded warrior.

"Are you OK, Cranky!?" Candy asked, trying to contain her fear. The old ape chuckled, despite his pain. "Believe me, I've been through worse."

"You'll be even worse than that if I don't patch you up right away," Wrinkly added as she lifted Cranky off the ground. Candy walked beside her, "But what about DK?"

"Well...When he comes back, I'll give him a stern talking to."

Candy stopped dead in her tracks, she wasn't sure if there was anything else she could do. Sure, most of the Kremlings could barely fight back now. But if K. Rool kills of DK, and Cranky doesn't recover from his injury, then they would've fought back for nothing.

* * *

"SLOW DOWN, YOU INCOMPETENTLY OVERGROWN HORSE!"

In the jungle, K. Rool was struggling to control Rambi. One of his hands was gripping at his ear, he held onto Diddy with his other hand. Rambi continued to charge and thrash just to get K. Rool to fall off, but to no avail. And to top it all off, Diddy was practically screaming his lungs out.

"WOULD YOU BE QUIET, ALREADY!?" K. Rool yelled at the infant, obviously not fixing anything.

"That's no way to speak to my nephew!"

K. Rool turned his head, his eyes widened as he watched DK riding Expresso, the ape nearly caught up to him. "Give him back, OR ELSE!"

"Or else what!?" K. Rool teased. "Do you really think I'm scared of a mere child such as yourself?"

DK snorted in response, "I may be a child to you, but that doesn't mean I'm gonna let you take over our island!"

"Suit yourself!" K. Rool said as he placed Diddy inside a bag before pulling out his sword, "Because I'm gonna enjoy this!"

K. Rool swung his sword at DK, who instinctively ducked along with Expresso. The ape was shaken, but he wasn't going to give up. As attacked a second time, DK grabbed him by the wrist. He punched the Kremling King in the snout, K. Rool recoiled in pain.

"Agh...you little-" K. Rool began to thrash at DK with his sword. "You're going down whether you like it or not!"

"AAAACK!" DK yelled as Expresso slowed down. Getting Diddy back was tougher then DK thought, the ape had to think of something quick.

"Wait!" DK looked inside his bag, he only had four bottles left after fighting those Kremlings. They might not do much, but DK had to make the most of what he had.

He grabbed the first bottle and threw it, it wound up hitting a tree branch instead. He threw the second one, it flew over K. Rool's head.

"Are you seriously trying to hurt me with bottles!?" K. Rool teased, "Because it'll take more then THAT to stop me!"

Frustrated, DK threw the first bottle. K. Rool retaliated by throwing his sword at DK, it nearly grazed its arm. DK has one more bottle left, this was his last chance to get Diddy back.

DK threw the last bottle with all his might. Instead of hitting K. Rool, it hit Rambi's rump. It startled him so badly that he'd lost his footing. As Rambi fell over, King K. Rool flew off the rhino's back. He hit his face against a tree, he fell slowly once he hit the ground.

Expresso slowed down, which allowed DK to jump off without hurting himself. He ran towards K. Rool and started digging through his bag until he found Diddy. He was still crying, and he had a few bumps and bruises. But other then that, he looked fine.

"Take it easy, little guy," DK said as he brought Diddy to his better shoulder while rubbing his head. "You've been through enough today, so just relax."

Diddy's crying had reduced to mere hiccups, but DK could tell that he felt safe. The ape turned his attention to K. Rool, who sat up rubbing his snout. It was obvious that he was in pain. He walked up to K. Rool and squeezed his shoulder, he gave him the sternest look he could make.

"So...I'm gonna let ya go," DK said before he started squeezing K. Rool's shoulder even tighter. "but, I DON'T wanna see you back here EVER again. Got it?"

"OK, OK!" K. Rool whined pathetically, "Just let me go already!"

K. Rool grumbled as he ran back home, not even caring if the other Kremlings would follow him or not. DK walked up to Rambi and patted his snout, "Sorry 'bout hittin' you like that."

Rambi responded with a bark, he allowed DK to climb on top of him before heading back to Treetop Town. Expresso followed the duo closely, his wings fanned out as if he were doing some sort of victory dance. As the group kept moving, the sun began to rise. DK was quick to notice some of the animals around him emerging from their homes...And as he got closer to Treetop Town, he noticed how all the beat-up Kremlings were heading back to their homes as well.

Finally, they made it back to Treetop Town, only to notice that most of the villagers, as well as the birds, were standing in a circle. In the middle of this circle stood Funky and Candy, who looked absolutely confused. Of course, once Funky spotted DK riding Rambi, he began to call out to him. "Yo, Donkey-Dude! Where've you been!?"

"I had to take care of a couple things," DK replied as he leapt off Rambi's back and reunited with the group. "Hopefully, K. Rool should leave us alone this time around."

"N-Now hold on just a minute," said an all-too-familiar voice. DK wasn't sure if he should roll his eyes or not, but he was at least thankful that Cranky was alive. The old ape walked up to DK, he had a few bandages wrapped around his chest.

"Don't think for a moment that you're as good of a king as Junior was, you could've gotten yourself killed!"

"Cranky, please-"

"BUT-" Cranky raised a hand, "You DID get those crocs out of here, so I'd say that's a good start."

"What Cranky means is that we're all proud of you," Candy added. DK shook his head in response, "I didn't do much, guys...really."

"Then whose idea was it that Funky made the weapons in the first place?" Candy asked.

"Well..."

"And whose idea was it to go find help?" Funky asked, "'Cause it definitely wasn't us!"

"Really, I don't deserve ALL the credit," DK argued, "But...thank you guys, really."

"Three cheers for Donkey Kong!" yelled one of the Kongs. With the Kremlings gone, nobody had to hide anymore. Everyone cheered for their new king, DK would pound his chest in excitement if he wasn't holding onto Diddy.

Speaking of which, Diddy was sleeping peacefully in DK's arms. Since the Kremlings weren't going to be an issue, he no longer had to worry about losing any more of his family. And thankfully, Diddy wouldn't have to worry about it either.

The Kongs were finally free.


	7. Chapter 7

8 months have passed since DK fought against King K. Rool. Within those 8 months, the jungle was able to recover slowly. Most of the Kongs had adjusted to their normal daily routines. Although nothing was the same after the Kremling attacks, the Kongs were motivated enough to keep living their lives as best as they could.

The sun was rising, Diddy stretched before he crawled out of his basket. He made his way over to his uncle's hammock. One of DK's arms was hanging off of it, which made it easy for Diddy to tug at his fur. "DK?"

No response, Diddy tugged even harder. "DK, hi!"

Once again, there was no response. Irritated, Diddy climbed onto DK's hammock and tackled his face. "DK, HI!"

"ACK!" DK screamed as he quickly sat up. "I'M UP, GEEZ!"

"Hi, DK!" Diddy greeted once again.

"...Mornin', Diddy," DK greeted back. "You can't wait for your party to start, huh?"

"Yeah!" Diddy replied, despite not really knowing what a party was. From what Cranky and Wrinkly had told him weeks before, today was supposed to be Diddy's first birthday. It was hard to think that at one point, they were complete strangers to one another. And now, each day, DK had to wake up to a tiny monkey tackling him in the face. It was something that he would have to work on at some point. But for now, he didn't seem to mind.

One thing he was really impressed with, however, was how much Diddy had grown over the past several months. He was starting to get too big to fit in his basket. Not only that, he'd already learned how to use certain words as well. He still had a lot to learn, but he was getting better each day.

DK picked Diddy off the hammock and placed him onto his shoulder. "C'mon, Diddy. Let's go visit your mom first."

"Yeah."

But before DK could leave, he spotted Cranky walking up to his tree house. He had a serious look on his face, which usually wasn't a good sign.

"Perfect timing, DK. I was just asked to come and find you."

"But why?" DK asked, tilting his head. "Can't we just go and visit Lily first?"

"She can wait for now," Cranky replied. "Trust me, DK. This is a little more important."

"Well, who was the one that asked you to go look for me?"

"Tiki Tong, of course," Cranky replied. "Now don't just stand there, let's go!"

DK gave Diddy a concerned look, it must've been important if Tiki Tong wanted DK of all people to visit his temple. He began to follow Cranky, unsure of what to expect.

* * *

Deep within the jungle sat one of the island's temples. Ever since the Kongs came to this island, Tiki Tong would always speak to members of DK's family if an important decision had to be made. After all, he knew just about everything...right?

The two Kongs stopped in front of an old statue, sitting on the alter was an aggressive-looking Tiki statue. Surrounding the statue sat 9 smaller statues, each one resembling an instrument. DK could only assume that they were the all leaders of the Tiki Tak Tribe...At least at some point.

"Well don't just stand there," Cranky said bitterly, "Say something!"

"Uh..." DK began to shake as he walked closer to the alter, Diddy could already sense how nervous his uncle was.

"H-Hello, Tiki Tong, sir...I-"

"It has been a long time," said a disembodied voice. "Donkey Kong III, was it?"

"Y-Yes, sir!" DK replied.

"I figured as much," Tiki Tong replied. "I see you've made quite the name for yourself on this island, despite still being so young."

"Yeah, so...why did you want me here?"

"Because there is something I wish to discuss with you. I have noticed that you have been taking care of your nephew since your sister's death, correct?"

"Well, yeah," DK replied as if it were obvious. "Why do you ask."

"Because that it what I want to talk to you about," Tiki Tong replied. "I know he may not look like much now, but I can sense the heart of a great companion coming from him. I'm certain that as he ages, he'll gain the strength, agility, and kindness of a leader."

DK's eyes widened in pure shock, "W-W-WAIT, YOU'RE TELLING ME HE'S GONNA-"

"Indeed," Tiki Tong replied. "Diddy will become the next ruler of this island."

DK grinned widely, he took Diddy off his shoulder and started dancing with him. "Looks like you've got a really bright future ahead of you after all!"

"BUT!" Tiki Tong yelled, which startled the Kongs, "You have to be the one to guide him. If he has no guide, he will not be able to lead. And if he cannot lead, then there is no point in having you Kongs stay on this island."

"...Yes, sir," DK replied. "I understand."

"Good," Tiki Tong's voice boomed. "If you do well in guiding him. Then perhaps one day, he'll be the one saving you from whatever perils you may face."

DK furrowed his brow, he looked at Diddy with a puzzled look. Sure, he had no problem raising Diddy by himself, but could he really guide him in the right direction in order for him to become a king? This was hard for DK to wrap his head around.

"So I guess we're doomed, huh?" Cranky said bitterly, "Seriously, does this boy even LOOK like someone who can lead a kingdom!?"

"...Well, you said the same thing about me, didn't you?" DK argued.

"AND YOU AGREED WITH ME!" Cranky argued. DK replied with a shrug. "Yeah, and look where we're at now!"

"Oh, whatever!" Cranky said as he headed out of the temple. "Just don't come cryin' to me if something bad happens!"

DK looked down and gave Diddy a warm smile, he brought him back onto his shoulder and hugged him. "I'm sure you'll make a great leader, one day."

"Yeah!"

"Yep," DK replied as he began to leave the temple as well. "C'mon, let's go tell everyone the good news."

Somehow, DK was right when he said that Diddy had so much to look forward to. But regardless of Tiki Tong's choice, Diddy was still Diddy in the end. He may not have had a great start in life, but DK was certain that things will get better for the both of them.

* * *

 _ **I'm really glad I got something like this done. I also wanted to add something in there about Tiki Tong warning the Kongs about how he'll eventually awaken and challenging DK/Diddy to see if the Kongs are still capable of taking care of the island (In reference to DKCR), but I felt that was going to make the scene completely cluttered.**_

 _ **Anyway, thank you guys for reading this, and here's hoping for more stuff in the future**_


End file.
